Information sessions in the villages of Golyam Izvor and Kavrakirovo.
The month of March was filled with events related to the project "Raising awareness of local communities in areas with a significant Roma population on issues related to asylum and migration".
In the middle of the month, an IOM Bulgaria team and representatives of the NNHM- BFPA-EMHPF Consortium held two information sessions in the village of Golyam Izvor, Haskovo district and the village of Kavrakirovo, Blagoevgrad district. In both villages the local Roma community constitutes a significant part of the population.
The events sparked keen interest among the people in the local Roma communities and, in the people's own words, proved to be particularly useful for them. The focus of the presentation and the discussion that followed was on the topic of living and working abroad. The attendees were informed in detail about the rules and requirements for settling in different European countries, the necessary steps for preparation before departure, as well as their basic rights and obligations on the territory of a foreign country. The participants at both events actively engaged in the ensuing discussions, asking specific questions and referring to their background and personal experiences.
Particular attention was paid to the risks of trafficking and smuggling, as well as labour and sexual exploitation. The participants in the info sessions were advised on key prevention steps such as good awareness, screening out suspicious information and ways to check its credibility, as well as institutions in Bulgaria and abroad they can turn to when they need help.
